


The Cold

by LoopsTheBirdbrain



Category: Fandom (Anthropomorphic), Original Work
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Post-Apocalypse, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:00:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24825712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoopsTheBirdbrain/pseuds/LoopsTheBirdbrain
Summary: Years after society has fallen, the world has been blanketed in a harsh and unforgiving eternal winter. Warmth is a valuable commodity in these times and those that hold sources of it are prime targets for various bandit encampments and those that desperately seek salvation from the bitter environment. Relationships are uncommon in this age and for those that grow close enough to one another, "sharing" warmth has become the penultimate sign of trust between one another.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Kudos: 2





	1. Alone

The cold. The unrelenting snow and winds now blanket the planet in an unforgivingly harsh frost and blankets of pale snow. How this world came to be, few remember. Once proud cities and their defiantly tall superstructures now stood abandoned, and the icy grasp of the eternal winter gradually burdened their creaking structures with age. Bright lights and endless noise is long since gone, the air silent except for the howling wind that snaked through the shattered glass and distant sounds of survival. Bands of travelers make shelter wherever they can to escape the crushing chill small orange beacons against the gray skylines. 

Warmth is a rare commodity indeed and those that possess it are prime targets for the desperate few that cling to survival amongst the city streets. With a harsh shiver, Archimedes shuffled through the halls of what must certainly have been quite the luxury residence in its heyday. The pale white marble of the lavish halls coated in a thin layer of snow, the remnants of tattered carpets lining the hallways of the main entrance hall. Atop the grand staircase sat a desk, long since crushed by the weight of ice and the crumbling concrete. Chandeliers hung askew on their mounts from the top of the sloped ceilings, the crystals indistinguishable from the ice that hangs alongside them. The steam of his shivering breaths hangs shortly in the frigid air as he struggles up the stairs before finally reaching the main landing. With all his strength, he pressed his shoulders against the resisting door that leads to the main stairs, the ice coating the lock finally shattering to the ground with an audible crash. 

After what felt like hours of trudging up the wind whipped staircase, he finally came to rest on a floor labeled PH1. Dozens of doors lean inwards, broken off their hinges, the empty hallways coated in eerie but all too familiar silence as he struggled to catch his breath. The air stung his lungs as he heaved, his makeshift coat pulled tightly around his feathers as he stumbled into a room at the end of the endless hallway. 

With a sigh of what could be called relief, he practically collapsed against the empty bed frame, his rucksack dropping to the ground with a thud. With a few moments to catch his breath, he pulled a small set of matches from his bag and set them on the floor alongside some crumpled paper that he hoped would still be dry enough to start a fire with. He then took one cursory glance around the spacious apartment, the cold air slipping through the shattered window panes as he cautiously explored to ensure that he was alone. Once satisfied, he returned shivering to the main room carrying a metal wastebasket and knelt next to the pile of wood he had made. Finally, he dumped the contents inside and struck the match as it sparked to life, the flame licking against his fingers. Setting the match into the bin, the once small flame curled up the contents fed the hungering flames. The room now stood glazed in the warm orange glow of the tiny fire, the heat providing some respite from the otherwise frigid air. 

Just as he was about to attempt to rest his weary body, the distinct sound of crunching glass caught his ears, snapping him awake as his head swiveled in the direction of the noise. What was once a semi-relaxed state now had his heart pounding in his chest as he called out into the hallway. “W-Who’s there!?” he shouted, his voice echoing through the halls.

With a careful tread, he stood with his hand placed firmly at his hip, each nervous heartbeat sending a tremor through his fingers as they wrapped around his weapon. His breathing turned ragged as he walked, the steam of his shaky breaths filling his vision while his glasses fogged up. Frantically he wiped them to clear his vision once more, the sight of the suffocatingly quiet hallway returning as his fingers wiped away the condensation. He called out again, “I-I’m armed! Come out with your hands above your head unless you want to end up dead!” he shouted, a sudden gust of bone-chilling wind whipping his coat against his face. He shivered violently, drawing the chilled metal of his firearm as his fingers carefully flipped the safety, before pulling the slide back with a distinctive metallic ping. With as much confidence as he could muster, he pressed his head slowly around the corner of the hall, his freely rotating, his head spinning rapidly in both directions. Nothing. Not a sound, not a soul in sight. He took a moment to catch his rapid breath, the cold air stinging his lungs as he did so. His weary arms let the gun drop from his sight plane to the floor, the coursing adrenaline subsiding, if only for a moment. He sighed a heaving breath of relief as he began the walk back to his temporary shelter, the light of afternoon having quickly faded into evening. 

His view from the splintered glass window panes now painted by the dancing flames of his makeshift campfire. The fire proved comforting, the once inhospitable cold now bathed in comforting warmth. Warm enough in fact to let him almost call his surroundings comfortable in his mind. Looking out over the wind-whipped landscape of the towering skyscrapers and snow blanketed streets, he felt… something. Was it contentment? He wasn’t sure if he’d go that far. His thoughts were a haze of the events of the day, his memory still cloudy from exhaustion. It was at that moment that he had almost wished to have seen someone after those terrifying moments of uncertainty. It had been so long since he had seen anyone or anything besides unfettered winter snow, and the lifeless husks of the buildings he passed. That was, until his pale blue eyes spotted a blurry sight, far across the ravine that once held a proud highway in its wake. Was that another light? Something other than the light of the alabaster moon that saturated the snow with its cold glow? 

In the distance his eyes finally drew what he gazed upon into a crisper focus, his keen vision finally coming in handy. It was a sight that nearly made him drop the cup of coffee he held in his hands. In the windows of the far building stood what appeared to be a campfire, not unlike the one that currently lit his shelter, and beside it, a sharp blinding glint of light. Could there really be another living being this close to him? Could something else really be out there? He shook his head, chasing what seemed like the far fetched hopes of his first days in the city. I must be more tired than even I know. He thought to himself. Must just be a figment of my weary mind. Just have to rub my eyes and it’ll vanish just like all the others. He brushed his feathered fingers against the dark circles beneath his eyes, hoping to rub the fatigue along with the snow from them. The glow remained in his vision however, if anything, it had grown brighter since he last looked, and then… It couldn’t be. A figure, barely lit by the amber flames across the chasm. Could they see him? He wondered to himself as he quietly cursed the color of his feathers. He waved his hands violently in the air, hoping the figure would return some sign of life. Just as his heart was beginning to sink, the bright glint of light that accompanied the amber glow appeared to blink, changing its shape as it moved. With a squint, and with a strain of his tired eyes, he could just barely make out the shape. A small circle, or rather a pair of them. Binoculars! They can see me! They can! The thought screamed in his head, so much so that he nearly shouted out loud. 

For the first time in a long time, he felt his spirits rise at even the slightest possibility of someone alive on the other side. More importantly, someone that didn’t immediately shoot him when they did. With this newfound fervor, he felt the sleepiness artificially drain from his body, adrenaline surging through his body once more. Only this time, it wasn’t fear that gripped his consciousness, it was elation, a sense of purpose towards his next day beside the grueling fight for survival against the snow. He set aside in his plans that he would try and make it towards that light. No matter what stood in his way, he was going to take this leap of faith, even if it killed him.


	2. A Light on the Horizon

With a practically sleepless night behind him, he rose to his feet, tending to the dead fire before him. The world felt different this time, lighter on his shoulders as he packed his things to venture back out into the unknown. As he began to walk from his shelter, he took one last longing look at the comfortable place he had built for himself. This would perhaps be the last time he saw this comfortable place, the warm glow of the fire seemed like a distant memory as he adjusted the heavy rucksack on his shoulder. 

The walk back to the ground floor was just as nerve-wracking as it was on the way up. Each and every crunch of the debris beneath his boots sent a shiver through his entire body, his head swiveling rapidly to check his surroundings without fail before sighing at his paranoia. Finally taking a deep breath he held his chest out firm before letting out a long sigh, his frayed nerves finally subsiding from their perpetually agitated state. The walk down the staircase was whisper quiet, his thickly treaded boots hardly making a sound as he descended, still clutching his weapon cautiously as he examined each flight for another soul. Thankfully, with a final sigh of resignation, he found himself back in the once lavishly furnished lobby, the familiar sight of the crushed desk bringing him out of his trance. 

Back out onto the frost-covered roads, it was as he holstered his pistol, the bone-chilling metal finally starting to make his fingers ache. Another set of shivers shot through his body once more, the comfort of the walls that once blocked their onslaught now removed. Hastily he blew steamy breaths in between his hands, the gloves that covered his feathered fingers proving to be little help. Ahead of him lay the main road, the once-proud drawbridges now frozen shut and thankfully flat across the river that remained frozen solid. Almost there, just a little farther and I’ll be at that building in no time. I can’t give up now. He thought to himself, trying his best to shake the feelings of doubt that nibbled at the back of his mind as he trudged through the weighty snowdrifts. Turning his head to look behind himself, he could only see the long dragging trails of his boots quickly being filled by the near-constant snowfall above as he shook the snowflakes from his head. Only a few hundred more yards and I’ll be back inside and out of this damned cold. He said to himself, his mind returning to the oppressive eternal winter that surrounded him. Soon enough, even with his head down, he could see that he was now in the foreboding shadow of the skyscraper that creaked and groaned before him. Finally here. I just hope they haven’t left yet… he said to himself with a sigh before pulling himself up along the railing and towards the main entrance.

This building was far different from the one he had just left. Gone were the ostentatious halls of the luxury building he had left behind as he took in the sight of the building. This place seemed odd… out of place in its design, almost as if it were unfinished. Furniture and desk chairs lay scattered about the harsh concrete floors, the walls were a mass of tattered images and what looked like old advertisements. Nothing he recognized, but finding a few plastic hats and garishly colored mesh vests quickly gave him the full picture. He gulped. The thought of an unfinished building standing up to all of this didn’t exactly set his mind at ease, but he couldn’t turn back now. He’d come too far to give up now. 

The howls of the wind filled the air as he explored the sparsely filled ground floor before finding the staircase. A rather decrepit sight it was indeed. The ice and snow had done a number on the concrete surfaces, to say the least. The painted corners chipped and cracked all over as he carefully ascended each floor, his gloved hand planted firmly on his hip. Landing after landing he climbed, the struggle thankfully giving his body plenty of heat to cease the shivering, if only for a moment as he caught his breath on the 15th floor. His rucksack at this point was weighing down his back unbearably as the straps dug in with each step up from then on before finally demanding that he rest a moment on the 25th floor. Setting his things down beneath the large stenciled numbers on the landing, he sat, his sweat-drenched forehead dripping beads onto his spectacles. He fumbled with his gloves for a moment before removing his cracked lenses and wiping them gently with the soft fabric, taking great care not to damage the glass any further. 

Rising to his feet once more, as he steadied himself against the wall, he took note of the open sight out to the city skyline visible through the empty doorway. This floor proved to be well and truly unfinished, as the only thing that separated him from a dizzying drop beyond was the several cracked panes that made up the windows. He was sure that this is where he’d seen that familiar glow several hours ago, and with several deep breaths, he finally convinced himself to peek into the floor from the doorway. “Hello? Is anyone out there?” he called, his voice echoing through the empty floor. Silence. That haunting silence. He could feel his heart sinking in his chest, the flames of hope slowly dying out in his heart as he felt his head slump in dejection. 

Just as he was about to turn his ears perked up to the sound of a metallic clack, a cold piece of metal placed to the back of his head as his heart skipped a beat in his chest. Instinctively his hands shot up into the air as his eyes went wide. “P-please. Don’t shoot!” he yelled, his heart caught in his throat as he struggled to respond. “What the hell are you doing here?” a cold fem fatale voice growled in his ear as he didn’t dare turn to face the source. “I-I saw the light of the fire and your binoculars looking into the building I was in... “ he stammered, still significantly on edge. “I t-thought that you were trying to get my attention from across the way…” he said, pointing to the window he once occupied, his feathered fingers still shaking slightly in fear. “I’ll leave now if you promise not to hurt me…” he said, another audible gulp as he stood frozen both literally and metaphorically in panic. He felt the cold steel lower from the back of his head as he nearly collapsed in relief at the apparent sign of mercy. “Turn around. I want to get a look at you,” she commanded, her voice still somewhat tense in her demand. 

Arms now at his sides, he slowly rose to his feet and turned to face the other figure. Before he stood a rather imposing form, her tall stature and a supremely padded coat made her look several sizes larger than she was. Between her fingers still rested the large pistol, the polished nickel gleaming in the sunlight. There was no mistaking why she was able to resist this cold as well as he was. Her downy fur could be seen clearly against the collar of her jacket, puffing out slightly around her sweater underneath. Some extra softness filled out her voluptuous figure, her clothes seeming ever so slightly tight around her curves as Archamedies gave her a quick once over. She was a beautiful snow leopard to behold, he thought to himself before catching her slightly embarrassed facial expression when he met her eyes. Her cheeks were now a burning shade of crimson, but she quickly snapped at him before he was able to speak. “Don’t stare at me you!” she shouted, a hand quickly swiping across his face, nearly knocking his spectacles cleanly off his face. 

“Ouch! S-sorry. It’s just, I haven’t seen another living being in so long that didn’t immediately try and take my head off…” he finally said, his voice trailing off as he held his gently throbbing cheek where she’d struck him. He sighed, now not able to keep his gaze locked with hers, his embarrassment now washing over him as they shared an awkward silence. A few moments passed before she spoke once more, her voice now a bit softer and more friendly in its cadence. “I’m sorry I struck you, it’s been a while since I’ve seen anyone else around here either, and not being shot at is something I’m not used to. I can’t take any chances in a place like this,” she said, still shivering slightly despite her warm coat. “Archimedes finally caught his breath, his gaze locking with hers once more as he spoke, his own speech pattern trying to come off as non-threatening as possible. “It’s a dangerous world out there for sure. While it did hurt… I can understand the response. Not many friendly faces out here any more…” he continued, noticing her shivering beneath her coat. “You’re freezing too aren’t you… I’ve still got some supplies on me to start another fire,” he said, watching her eyes glow slightly in the cold sunshine. “Y-you do?” she replied, her chattering teeth resulting in a slight stutter. “W-would you help me make another one?” she asked, her voice hopeful in line with her expression. “I ran out of kindling yesterday, and I’m not sure when I’d be able to venture back out.” 

Archimedes smiled, finally seeing a way to win over this new uneasy companion as he enthusiastically gestured to the rucksack on his back before dropping it to the floor with a thump. “Yeah! I’ve got some supplies with me. Provided I can get some assurance that you won’t take me out as soon as I do so…” he said, nerves still creeping their way into his voice as he spoke. Her genuine smile and the holstering of her firearm was enough to put his mind at ease. “You h-have my word.” she finally said, her pointed teeth still chattering with the whipping wind cutting through her coat. With this newfound confidence, he finally started unpacking his things, the book of matches, and the small set of kindling he had collected from the other building. Soon enough he had a small pile of wood and papers on the floor and he struck the match against the matchbook, the creeping flame glowing against the shattered lenses of his glasses. The hungry flame quickly took to the relatively dried materials, and soon blanketed the floor in an amber glow, the heat immediately palpable in its presence. At this point she was beaming, her clear excitement leading to a smile of his own. “There we go! This should help the two of us stay a little bit warmer… Pardon my rudeness, but I didn’t even ask your name…” he continued sheepishly as he glanced up from his work. 

Snapped out of her bright smile, glancing back at the snowy owl, pressing her gloved fingers together. “My name? It’s been a while since anyone has asked that…” she said, looking away. “I’m Anastasia… It’s nice to meet another friendly face.” she finally said, the smile returning to her face, her pointed teeth gleaming in the light of the flames. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well. My name is Archimedes,” he replied with a genuine smile. “You hungry? I’ve got some food gathered too…” he asked before being interrupted by the sound of her stomach grumbling hungrily. He chuckled heartily, watching her face turn red once more in embarrassment. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he said, setting some stew from his thermos on the open flame, carefully placing it atop the small grate he carried along with him. “It’s not much, but I’m willing to share with a new friend,” he said, holding out a small cup in his feathered fingers to meet hers. Anastasia readily clutched the small cup, her steamy breaths cooling the hot liquid before taking a sip. the toasty liquid soon met her lips as she grinned, the gesture of kindness warming her shivering body. “Kindness is something that has long since left his land, my new feathered friend, and much less sharing a source of warmth such as this. What has left you in such a position to trust so fully in a total stranger?” she asked, her face finally warming up as she leaned against the pillar. 

Taken aback by the question, Archimedes truly realized the atypical generosity of his gesture, the already dwindling supplies he had on hand being made available without question. While he was certain he had made the right choice, he was far from having a satisfactory answer for the snow leopard that now shared a moment of calm with him. His mind was racked, reaching through the years of survival before finally looking up from his own steaming cup. “To tell you the truth. I’m not even sure myself at this point. It’s been so long since I’ve seen another living being that isn’t clinging to the margins of this hellish cold, and even longer since I’ve encountered someone such as yourself on this endless journey. The simple fact that you hesitated before dealing a killing blow with that weapon of yours is more than enough reason to place whatever little trust I have left in this whole interaction.” he said, taking a comforting sip of the piping hot coffee in front of him. The moment of honesty left the two of them in an unusually long silence, their eyes unable to meet one another’s for a long while before he sat down beside the fire to warm his hands. 

“Look, I know that we’ve just met, but in this world, another gentle soul by each of our sides could be the difference between life and death in times like these. These tired eyes have gone dull in the years of fending off the cold, and someone to share in my solitude is something I’ve longed for as far back as I could remember…” he said, his voice trailing off as he recalled his previous traveling partner, his words caught in his choking throat. The gentle sting of tears soon found their way into his bag filled eyes, the streams gently streaming down his left cheek before they nearly froze to his face. His eyes remained firmly shut as he struggled to wipe his cheeks of the burning streams, his emotions now on full display. Soft sobs filled the empty room before uncomfortable silence filled the frost soaked air once more. Was it a mistake to open up like this? Such vulnerability for all to see? It was almost embarrassing to feel his composure seep away like this. The strings of his heart weighed his chest, a crushing force like a vice on his battered heart as he felt the loneliness creep into his mind in an all to familiar fashion before he felt the unusual warmth of a hand on his shoulder, her soft fur coat warming his battered body. 

He nearly jumped at the sudden gesture, her own shivering form now huddled up against his as he drank in the sight that now sat by his side, her own quiet sobs mirroring his own. Her once pristine shimmering eyes now tainted by blinding tears. The two of them sat in solemn silence with one another for a long while, their shivering bodies sharing what little warmth they had as they embraced. The soft comfort of the moment flooded over the two survivors, no words, needed to be spoken, so the air hung quietly like so many nights before. The moon had long since taken it’s perch in the wintry sky, the heat of the fire leaving them to huddle even closer to one another as they shared one another’s arms. Such a short time, and yet this was the closest he had ever felt to another living being, their unspoken trust more than any gesture could ever provide. Feeling his own eyes fluttering closed as sleep crept into his body. Looking over to his new companion he laid eyes on her shallow breaths, long since falling asleep in his lap as he softly chuckled, content at the moment as he felt his consciousness slip from his mind, the cold world going dark in turn.


	3. Seeds

The whipping wind as always slowly woke the arctic bird from his blissful slumber, the lifesaving heat of the embers having long since died out in the pile before him. The unfamiliar weight in his lap was something he nearly jumped up from at first before his vision finally adjusted. There she lay, still soundly asleep across his lap. While he didn’t want to wake the sleeping snow leopard, he could already feel the numbness in his extremities from holding such a position all night. Gently tapping her on the shoulder before shaking her shoulder gently, he tried his best to slowly wake the sleeping Anastasia. “Psst. Hey… Rise and shine... I can hardly feel my legs.” he said, nearly laughing at the moment as she slowly roused from her slumber. She almost looked as if she’d forgotten where she was for a moment, her head turning rapidly to face all directions before locking eyes with him once more, a bright red blush burning her cheeks. “O-Oh… I must’ve fallen asleep on your lap…” she stammered, clearly caught off guard by their positioning as Archimedes nervously rubbed the back of his neck, his feathers ruffling. “Guess you were more tired than ya looked,” he replied with a hearty laugh, as he wiped the fresh steam from his spectacles. 

The awkward silence they shared after that hung in the air like a thick fog that covered the two of them, each of their hearts pounding in their chests as they each struggled to think of what to say next. It was Anastasia that was the first to break the deafening silence with a timid and still slightly embarrassed reply. “Thank you, Archimedes…. For everything. It’s been far too long since I felt like I could trust anyone in this world…” she said, her voice trailing off once more before averting her glance. Placing a densely feathered hand on her shoulder, he only nodded in reply, the slight jump of her muscles catching him by surprise. “I should be thanking you. It’s been ages since I was able to spend a comfortable silence with someone else. It’s been solitude for as long as I can remember, and this short time I’ve spent… It makes me feel… normal again…” he said, a warm smile curling onto his beak as he placed an arm gently around her. Finally turning her head to face him once more, her face was now bright red, but a smile had crept onto her face through the tears that streamed down her face suddenly wrapping her arms around him. Shocked at first he recoiled, before extending his wings to embrace her in return, the tender moment warming their freezing bodies. 

It was over as soon as it started, their locked bodies finally separating as Anastasia rose to her feet, offering a gloved paw to the avian as she bent at the hips to help him to his feet. Taking his hand in hers, he pulled himself to his feet, now once again about a head taller than her. He couldn’t help but smile at her, his heart for the first time in a long time filled with hope for the future of this terrible place. The world seemed just a little less unforgiving in that comfortable moment, their still budding companionship leading to more than a few awkward laughs on each side. Not wanting this moment to ever end, Archimedes finally spoke up once more, finally finding the courage to ask what had been on his mind since their shared moment a few short hours ago. 

“Before anything else happens… I wanted to ask you… I know we just met, but I feel comfortable with you around. I don’t want us to part ways…” he said, his head sinking to his chest. Her momentary silence left his heart sunken in his chest before he felt her soft embrace lock around his chest, even tighter than before as he felt her vice-like grip tighten around him. Through tear-filled sobs, she exclaimed, “Thank you! Thank you!” she kept shouting over and over, her heart leaping in her chest as she wiped her tear-stained eyes, pure joy filling both of them as they shared their loving embrace.


End file.
